Pokemon Celebrates Year of the Snake with Ekans

Pokémon Rings in the Year of the Snake with a Charming Animated Short

Pokémon kicked off the 2025 Lunar New Year celebrations with a delightful animated short featuring Ekans and Arbok, celebrating the Year of the Snake. The video, released on January 29th, 2025, on Pokémon's YouTube channel, showcases a heartwarming encounter between two Ekans, one a shiny variant. The short film follows the shiny Ekans's accidental fall onto an Arbok, leading to a surprising evolution and a charming acceptance into the Arbok community.

The video's heartwarming simplicity resonated with viewers. Many commented on the touching interaction between the Ekans, highlighting the themes of friendship and acceptance regardless of differences. Nostalgia also played a significant role, with several users recalling their first encounters with shiny Pokémon, particularly Ekans and Arbok, in games like Pokémon Gold and Silver.

Beyond the animated short, The Pokémon Company also launched several in-game events and merchandise to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Pokémon GO's Lunar New Year Event

Pokémon GO joined the festivities with a Lunar New Year event starting January 9th, 2025. This event, part of the Dual Destiny season (December 3rd, 2024 – March 4th, 2025), boosted the encounter and shiny rates for several snake-themed Pokémon, including Ekans, Onix, Gyarados, Dratini, Dunsparce, Snivy, and Darumaka. The event also included themed Field Research, special 2km Eggs featuring Pokémon like Makuhita and Meditite, and a Timed Research rewarding players with rare Zygarde Cells.

This multifaceted celebration showcases Pokémon's commitment to engaging its fanbase with culturally relevant events and charming content.